The present invention relates generally to alignment systems, and more particularly, to optical alignment detection systems.
In many of today's systems, it is desirable to align a first object and a second object. In many cases, proper alignment is required for the proper and/or efficient operation of the system. For example, in printer applications, removable print cartridges must often be aligned with the printer assembly for the system to print properly. In another example, tape cartridges must often be aligned with a tape reader or the like to ensure that the tape can be read and/or to reduce wear on the tape. Most other forms of removable media have similar alignment concerns. Optical fiber alignment, component alignment, as well as many other applications and systems also require two or more objects to be properly aligned.
In many cases, the alignment of two objects is achieved via some sort of mechanical coupling. For example, in many cases, a first object includes a mechanical key such as a pin, tab or other mechanical feature, and the second object includes a corresponding hole, slot, recess or other corresponding feature. When the first object is brought into engagement with the second object, the mechanical alignment features force the first object to align with the second object.
A limitation of this approach is that the accuracy of the alignment is limited by the mechanical tolerances of the mechanical coupling features. Thus, to provide a highly accurate alignment, the tolerances of the mechanical coupling features must also be tightly controlled. This, however, can significantly increase the cost and complexity of producing the first and second objects. Another limitation is that if the first object is misaligned relative to the second object for one reason or another, there is often no way of knowing of the misalignment and/or for correcting for the misalignment.